Piero Hincapie explains what he will bring to Arsenal as Granit Xhaka conversation revealed

New Arsenal signing Piero Hincapie (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Piero Hincapie has revealed he spoke about Arsenal with Granit Xhaka during their time together at Bayer Leverkusen.

The Ecuador international is expected to sign a five-year contract from the following season and will give Mikel Arteta's side additional defensive cover. Capable of playing centre-back and left-back, Hincapie made more than 100 appearances for Leverkusen since joining in 2021 and played a key role in their Bundesliga title victory in 2023/24.

"It only took one conversation to make me feel sure about the decision that I was taking," the defender said in his first interview with Arsenal's official media channels. "I'm over the moon.

“I want to gel as best as I can with my new teammates and have a good season. I always want to win trophies for this club, to make a name for myself, and to leave a mark. I want to get off to a good start quickly and that's the most important thing.”

Hincapie played alongside former Arsenal midfielder Xhaka during his time in Germany and the pair even shared conversations about the club. The defender said: “We'd speak a lot but not about [Arsenal]. However, I asked him about Arsenal at one point, and I queried him about how things were here.

“He spoke wonders about the club and how he felt during his spell here. I loved the conversation that we had at that point, and it wasn't that recent. He did send me a message recently, though. He always spoke well of the club.”

Hincapie has now joined up with his Ecuador teammates ahead of games against Paraguay and Argentina, but will be hoping to make his Arsenal debut against Nottingham Forest when Premier League action returns. But what exactly will the defender bring to the Gunners?

"I think I can bring a lot of courage," he said. "I do my job well. I want to show my qualities as I've been doing for years. I want to give so much for this club.

“My best position is centre-back. I've played many games at full-back as well, but I think I'm best at centre-back. As for my qualities, I'm pacey and I like carrying the ball forward as well as being a leader on the pitch.”